Panhandlers

Drivers who hot-foot it through Howard County got a one-year reprieve when speed-camera legislation failed in the final days of last spring's General Assembly session, but state Sen. James N. Robey is gearing up for a second try. The measure leads a modest list of 11 local bills that are to be the subject of a public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 25 at school board headquarters on Route 108. Five of the measures are bond bills requesting state funds for...

Three state lawmakers who pushed through a ban on roadside panhandling in Anne Arundel County this year said yesterday that they will argue for a similar prohibition in Prince George's County during the General Assembly next year. Sen. James C. Rosapepe and Dels. Barbara A. Frush and Joseline Pena-Melnyk, Democrats who represent western Anne Arundel and northern Prince George's, announced their intention at a news conference in Laurel with County Executive John R. Leopold that was held to discuss Anne Arundel's ban. Since that ban took effect Oct. 1, officers have made an arrest and issued two citations for roadside soliciting, said Leopold, a Republican.

Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold rolled off several significant legislative victories as the General Assembly came to a close this week, including long-sought-after reform of the school board selection process and a ban on panhandling along county roads. The Leopold administration salvaged a bill to extend the statute of limitations, from one year to three years, for criminal building violations within 1,000 feet of the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay, an area commonly referred to as the "critical area."

A bill that would allow Anne Arundel County to outlaw all roadside panhandling is expected to clear its last major hurdle today, after lawmakers reached a compromise with its major opponent, the local firefighters' union. The Anne Arundel County Professional Firefighters has agreed to withdraw its objections after receiving assurances it will be allowed to run its "Fill the Boot" fundraising campaign in new places, including outside grocery stores and the Maryland Seafood Festival. The union had fought a bill proposed by Del. Joseline Pena-Melnyk, a College Park Democrat, because it would prevent firefighters from soliciting motorists to contribute to the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

ISSUE: County Executive John R. Leopold is dusting off a 2004 law he sponsored as a delegate that would empower Anne Arundel County to license roadside panhandlers. Leopold, who took office Dec. 4, hopes to curb what he called a public safety problem. He said he envisions a permit system that would function similarly to the request process for a one-day liquor license. He said the fee would be nominal and could be waived for those who cannot afford it. Critics have said licensing panhandlers would create an administrative and enforcement burden, and that it would constitute an unconstitutional limit on free speech.

ISSUE: County Executive John R. Leopold is dusting off a 2004 state law he sponsored as a delegate that would allow Anne Arundel County to license roadside panhandlers. Leopold, who took office Dec. 4, hopes to curb what he called a public safety problem. He said he envisions a permitting system that would function similarly to the request process for a one-day liquor license. He said fees would be nominal and could be waived for those who cannot afford to pay. His predecessor, Janet S. Owens, has said licensing panhandlers would create an administrative and enforcement burden.

More than two years after his predecessor rebuffed his state legislation to license roadside panhandlers in Anne Arundel, County Executive John R. Leopold is dusting it off. A former five-term delegate who took office last week, Leopold has asked County Attorney Jonathan Hodgson to craft a bill restricting solicitation along roadways and median strips to groups and individuals registered with Anne Arundel County. Leopold, a Republican, said he envisions a permitting system that would function similarly to the request process for a one-day liquor license.

Minors soliciting money or donations from motorists on Anne Arundel County roads could be fined $100 if a bill the County Council plans to consider Aug. 7 is approved. Council Vice Chairwoman Cathleen M. Vitale, a Severna Park Republican, plans to introduce the legislation at the meeting. She said she intends the fine not to exceed $100. "I'm more interested in getting children out of the median than punishing a parent, who I'm sure would pay the fine," said Vitale, an attorney. This week, Vitale sent a memo with a copy of the draft bill for the council to consider.

McLEAN, TEXAS -- When a wildfire rolled through this part of the Panhandle on Sunday, most of the Seven Cross cattle ranch went with it. Eleven thousand acres of grazing land is now charred dirt dotted with blackened shrubs and the bloated corpses of at least 100 cows that died while trying to escape the flames. Surveying his property, ranch owner L.H. Webb could do little more than square his shoulders and vow to somehow rebuild. This ranch has been in the family for 100 years, Webb said, and he's not about to give up now: "It's a shock, there's so much loss in one fell swoop.